The Polar Express

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: November 10, 2004

6.8	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 273 Ratings

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FilipeNetoSep 24, 2021

It was with some expectation that I decided to see this Christmas movie. I already had the perception that the film, despite being fresh and recent, quickly fell into a certain way of oblivion, with the television channels preferring otherIt was with some expectation that I decided to see this Christmas movie. I already had the perception that the film, despite being fresh and recent, quickly fell into a certain way of oblivion, with the television channels preferring other films during the Christmas season. Inspired by a book, which I have never read but heard about, the film addresses as a great theme people's disbelief, from a certain point on, in Santa Claus.

In the film, a child whose name we do not know is invited to take a night trip to the North Pole, aboard a magical steam train, to meet Santa Claus and watch the old man depart on his annual trip to distribute gifts to the children of the World. He, however, does not believe in Santa Claus. Based on these premises, the film tried to build a kind of fable about the beauty of the Santa Claus myth. This never really worked: in addition to having no logic, the film has a terribly abrupt start: in the opening five minutes, we get a glimpse of the boy's life as he pretends to sleep, and we board the train without further explanation. The journey is lukewarm and uninteresting, the other children are bland or irritating and there is a character, somewhat ghostly, whose reason for existing is never really explained, but who helps the protagonist when he needs it. The ending is a kind of Santa Claus Superstar, with a show of aerial acrobatics of the gnomes.

Although the film has a pitiful script and was notoriously the victim of radical cuts at the editing table, it's necessary to bow to Tom Hanks for an extraordinary vocal tour de force: the actor took full advantage of his vocal skills and gave voice to a handful of distinct characters throughout the film, with evident highlights for the train collector and Santa Claus. But in addition to all these voices, the actor also sang in several of the main songs of the soundtrack, which has its moments of quality, despite not being memorable, having a series of moments where it seems to copy the soundtrack of "Edward Scissorhands" and having a certain song, "Hot Chocolate", which I didn't like because of the extreme simplicity of the lyrics. Another aspect that deserves our positive appreciation is the extraordinary visual accuracy of the film, which makes the most of visual effects and CGI, providing us with elegant, colorful, vibrant and engaging animation.

That said, I fully understand why this film came and went as quickly as a comet, both in theaters and on television, and ended up in the wastebasket of cinema history: despite director Robert Zemeckis having made a strong bet on visual effects and in a good animation, no film can't be sustained without a good story to tell.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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JohnDec 26, 2008

Horrible movie that looks great. It was soleless and boring. Why so dark? Why so random?What was the point. To literally believe in something that is not true? UUUggghhh!!!!

0 of 3 users found this helpful

ANdrewDec 23, 2005

I don't know what the point of the movie was. Where is the story line, plot. I think story telling is a lost art.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

JessicaW.Dec 8, 2006

This movie has wonderful graphics, but that's about the only enjoyable part. When I went to see this, I was extremely dissapointed and it was torture sitting through the later half. The producers spent way to much time and money on the This movie has wonderful graphics, but that's about the only enjoyable part. When I went to see this, I was extremely dissapointed and it was torture sitting through the later half. The producers spent way to much time and money on the graphics and didn't focus on any other parts, The story-line--for me--was scattered and hard to follow, though you may find it otherwise. The characters were hard to relate to and emotionless. Some parts were even scary and not appropriate for small children. Pretty much the only happenings in this movie was that the little boy got on a train, went to the North Pole and came back. And that's the whole movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

Whatwasthat?Dec 26, 2008

Bad, Bad, Bad! I agree with those that say, don't take kids. It was mean, ugly and hearltless, with a sicko message that hope is found in believing that a made up person will give you the material objects that your family can't. I Bad, Bad, Bad! I agree with those that say, don't take kids. It was mean, ugly and hearltless, with a sicko message that hope is found in believing that a made up person will give you the material objects that your family can't. I agree with Nancy. The cruel joke that the movie plays on the poor boy who is finally learning that his life is not a fairy tale and that he is poor and that that is OK as long as he accepts it. But no! the movie says he is wrong to be realistic and sensible. He should "believe" more in a lie that will stunt his emotional growth for a few more years and make him resent his poor family for not giving him big presents. So santa is "god" and material objects are the reason christmas exists. This movie insults all religions and spiritual orientations equally. But it is not just the message of greed and delusion that makes it bad, it is that it is randon and mean-spirited. Like so many readers noted, there was no story. The boy gets on, the train goes north, random unrelated things happen that make no sense and do not make you care at all about the people and then the train gets there, the boy gets a present, and then he comes home. So what happens next christmas? Does he go again? Does santa have to give him a bigger gift or he will think he got dissed? What if the boy went to meet Marilyn Manson and got a gift, would we all want him to "believe" in MM for the rest of his life. So when a kid loses his "believe" in the idea that he gets free things from a fictional character, we should all be sad for that person? Good christmas movies are about human values and choices and recognizing what is important. This movie was a creapy effort to sell a sick and harmful message.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

JofTheMeltingNorthSep 18, 2007

Boring and strangely lifeless. What a bunch of poor techno-geeks imagine will blow people TOTALLY away ....kind of like a bunch of NASA scientists going into a collective swoon and near cardiac arrest because their Mars Land Rover has just Boring and strangely lifeless. What a bunch of poor techno-geeks imagine will blow people TOTALLY away ....kind of like a bunch of NASA scientists going into a collective swoon and near cardiac arrest because their Mars Land Rover has just fondled a chunk of Mars debris...sad! They could at least had a few drowning polar bears that Hanks scoops up at the last minute. Basically this film is little more than a "sampler" of special effects for Dreamworks (or whoever) to send around to potential clients as a catalogue of their Neat Special Effects. It's a Marketing tool about Marketing for the Market market. What could be more timely !!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

nickb.Dec 24, 2005

It made me cry cuz it didn't make any sense.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

MattDec 17, 2007

I couldn't even watch the first 20 minutes. It was so bad. I quit watching after the part with the train over the frozen lake sliding part/finding the ticket. When were those parts ever in the book? The book was awesome. This movie is I couldn't even watch the first 20 minutes. It was so bad. I quit watching after the part with the train over the frozen lake sliding part/finding the ticket. When were those parts ever in the book? The book was awesome. This movie is nothing like the book. Not even close. I had a great childhood and I remember growing up as a kid I used to read the book with my parents. After watching this garbage movie it made me want to throw up. If you want to see a good film with excellent animation go and see the Incredibles or Monsters inc.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

csw12Nov 26, 2015

The Polar Express is good in the beginning, then begins to stumble and then like the train it compleltly falls off the tracks and stays there. This seemed to be the unhappiest Christmas movie i have ever seen.